The Design and Construction of a Four-Stage Low Speed Research Compressor

R. Müller, R. Mailach, I. Lehmann

The paper reviews the design and construction of the low speed research compressor at Dresden University of Technology. The objective was to set up a European test facility to collect high quality experimental data in a multistage compressor. The purpose is to produce a data base for the validation of different existing cfd-codes, used to design high speed compressors for aeroengines and stationary gasturbines. The Low Speed Research Compressor was designed to operate at equivalent flow parameters in a large scale as a high speed compressor stage of an aeroengine or a gasturbine. Due to its large scale a great variety of measurement technologies i.e. laser and hot wire anemometry, pneumatic probes, transducer and microphones can be used. This test facility also should provide a platform for the investigation of both steady and unsteady compressor flow phenomena. The investigations include secondary flow, stator-stator-interaction, loss producing mechanisms as well as stability performance and rotating stall detection. This paper describes at first the design criteria and restrictions for the construction of the test rig. It reviews the overall performance data and the performance data of each single stage of the first build. There are also steady-state distributions of pressure, velocities and flow angles available. The measurement hardware to observe unsteady flow phenomena is installed and first test results can be presented.

Proceedings of IMP´97, Modelling and Design in Fluid-Flow Machinery
Gdansk, November 18-21, 1997  , ISBN 83-907526-4-6